Cleveland Heights
Embracing the community aspect of early suburban developments, neighbors on Sycamore Road in Cleveland Heights began hosting annual Fourth of July celebrations sometime in the early 1920s. Lasting most of the day, the parties included prizes for home decor and a parade of children who lived on the street. In the 30 years from 1910 to 1940, Cleveland Heights' population exploded from 3,000 to more than 55,000, making it one of the largest East Side suburbs. Many of the homes lining Sycamore and surrounding streets — a mix of single-family and multiple-occupancy — were built from 1912 to 1920. The street was a block away from Park School (now Park Synagogue), which was built on land donated by John D. Rockefeller, whose estate (now Forest Hill Park) was a short walk away. Today, the brick street has been replaced by asphalt and four houses at the east end of the street have been torn down. Cleveland Heights' population has dipped to 45,000, its lowest since before 1940, but it's still the fourth-largest suburb in Cuyahoga County.
